English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Robusto

3:03 PM

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 So you're the ascender on the h?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

That's my job as a remora.

It did take you an hour or so to understand.

Robusto

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 Nah, I was in a meeting.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

That's not a contradiction. I never speculated about the reason.

I'm hungrier than the one-legged hobo child robot from Futurama on Christmas day.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

you misspelled xmas

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

you misspelled xtina

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

3:11 PM

also: the sequence in one of the futurama xmas shows, where fry is hanging from a clock, only it's a digital clock, has to be one of the funniest sequences ever.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

It's the same episode.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

yeah

comedycentral.com/video-clips/d8y43e/…

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Xmas Story

"Xmas Story" is the fourth episode in the second production season of Futurama. It originally aired as the eighth episode in the second broadcast season in North America on December 19, 1999. The episode was written by David X. Cohen and directed by Peter Avanzino. John Goodman guest stars in this episode as Robot Santa. The plot of the episode focuses on the first Xmas that Fry spends in the future. Plot While on a ski trip, Fry begins to feel nostalgic for 20th century Christmases. To cheer him up, the rest of the Planet Express staff decide to decorate for what is now called Xmas, wh...

Robusto

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 Well, now that just isn't true, is it? You said it took me an hour to understand. That implies that I spent the whole hour trying to understand.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

The implication is in the eye of the beholder.

Robusto

3:14 PM

Now who's being disingenuous?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

What do you mean, now?

Robusto

I will wait an hour and see if you understand.

Mitch

@MrShinyandNew安宇 'Volk' in German sounds like its cognate 'folk' in English. 'Wagen' in German sounds like 'vahgen' in English orthography. German 'V' = English 'f' is an unvoiced labiodental fricative. German 'W' = English 'v' is a voiced labiodental fricative.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Rob is grumpy again. And he's not even hungrier than the one-legged hobo child robot from Futurama on Christmas day!

@Mitch except that I must reassure you that German women do not have faginas.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 then how do you vuck them?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

3:17 PM

Glad you asked.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

suddenly I'm not glad I asked

Mitch

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 they were removed with spelling reform.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

The spelling reform never touched German women in inappropriate ways.

Matt Эллен

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 so do they have waginas?

Mitch

Not all languages can have as consistent spelling as English

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

3:19 PM

@MattЭллен I suppose the Dutch vrowen do.

@Mitch I like the grey pencil next to that sentence.

Mitch

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 zing.

I've spent all this time trying to figure out how to pronounce the Dutch 'v'...and I still don't know. Same with 'IJ'.

so how to pronounce Friday -> vrijdag in Dutch?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vrijdag

There's even an audio file for all your pronouncing needs.

Mitch

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 the IPA says /ˈvrɛi̯dɑx/ but it the recording sounds to my ear like German Freitag (the final g an irrelevant unvoiced velar fricative).

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Such are the shortcomings of IPA.

A German would have trouble pronouncing vrijdag, just like the Dutch have trouble pronouncing Freitag.

Mitch

3:35 PM

so the dutch is supposed to sound more like vray-dakkk (in English orthography)?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

I don't think you can render it in English orthography with any kind of accuracy.

But back to your original question, an ij is an eye.

Mitch

ok.

but is the first sound voiced or unvoiced?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Ijs, Eis, ice.

@Mitch Unvoiced if you ask me, but you should be asking @Cerberus anyway.

Mitch

yes.

so dutch rijs, german reis, and english rice are pretty close then?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

For some values of close, yes.

Mitch

3:41 PM

understood.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

It's all the same language, after all. Except that Dutch doesn't exist.

KitFox

I decided on a meatball sub.

I know you have been waiting, wondering.

Matt Эллен

did it taste good? It sounds good

Robusto

Also, how does IPA handle languages with clicks and pops, or pitch, etc.?

Matt Эллен

some clicks are handled as ! like in IsiXhosa

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

3:45 PM

They have stuff for that.

But look, if the L in milk is /l/ and the L in Milch is /l/ then the system is fundamentally wrong.

2

KitFox

@MattЭллен It was pretty damned decent.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Commute! Laters.

Matt Эллен

Ace. I am off to get wet. Jinx

KitFox

Later!

user19161

4:13 PM

@MattЭллен That does not sound right.

KitFox

4:25 PM

0

Q: when an hyphen occur, what do we do with plural

When an hyphen occur, what do we do with plural? Example (dailymail.co.uk) Broken dream! Crocked Rangers ace Naismith faces nine-month lay-off Broken dream! Crocked Rangers ace Naismith faces nine-months lay-off Broken dream! Crocked Rangers ace Naismith faces nine months lay-off What is rig...

Dupe.

KitFox

4:36 PM

I don't know why I　ｅｖｅｎ　ｌｏｏｋ　ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｍａｉｎ　ｓｉｔｅ　ａｎｙｍｏｒｅ．

ＷＴＨ？

Oh weird. I just switched keyboards by accident.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

4:52 PM

Zeah i have several Kezboards in Front of me as well and i alwazy use the Wrongone.

KitFox

Damn it. I can't figure out how to do this sorting thing.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

What are you sorting? Numbers? Then I suggest doing so from low to high.

KitFox

There's a thought.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

If it's letters, alphabetical order might suffice.

KitFox

I am using column headers. Sorting isn't the hard part. I want to keep the sort order.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

5:00 PM

And what messes it up?

KitFox

Well, the sort state is stored in the header by way of its style. When the page postsback, it goes through each of the sortable headers and writes out a sort string. That means that the sort order is always from left to right.

So I need to figure out how to record the order that the columns were selected.

I haven't figured this out yet.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

I see.

I think you should use jQuery.

KitFox

I had done so originally, but it wants people to use shift-clicks for multiple columns, and my users can't do that.

If I understood it better, I might could modify it though.

That's an idea.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Oh. Hm.

But how else would one select multiple columns? By way of checkboxes?

KitFox

No. Click it, it sorts. Click a different one, it sorts, but keeps the prior sorting, etc.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

5:04 PM

Bah.

KitFox

That is the desired behavior anyway.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Way to shoot yourself in the foot.

KitFox

Why are you looking at me?

I didn't do it.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

I am not.

KitFox

But I am required to do it.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

5:05 PM

I am looking at the tasty soup right over there.

KitFox

Oh, soup. Mmm.

What kind of soup?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

@KitFox do tell them that it will take people exactly one second to open a support ticket asking why clicking on a different column doesn't change the ordering.

Cerberus

@Kit: Ding!

Parts of Nevada, Utah, California.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

I want to sort by name. No wait, I think it should be sorted by age. Huh wah, why is it still sorted by name????

Cerberus

@Mitch: I haven't read your entire discussion, but g is always pronounced /x/ in Dutch (except in borrowed words and in certain combinations like ng).

KitFox

5:07 PM

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 Well, because the little arrow shows them that "name" is still sorted.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Second support ticket: And how do I switch that off?

KitFox

You know what?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

And now multiply that by the number of users.

Also, days.

KitFox

This is just going to have to wait until later.

The unfortunate part being that now it looks like I haven't done anything today.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Oh, and Protip: no user looks at little arrows. Ever.

KitFox

5:08 PM

Also, the clouds just split open and it is really pouring.

So the gods must be angry.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Must be the Wotan.

He's pissy that I won't listen to Wagner.

KitFox

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 Why are you telling me this? I know that. I'm not the one who decided on this behavior.

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 Give him a poke in his good eye.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

@KitFox I'm not telling you anything. I'm bitching on the internet.

KitFox

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 I thought I was the only one doing that today.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Perhaps Wotan is actually pissy because he can't use the internet so he has to make the weather his bitch.

KitFox

5:10 PM

Gods, I ache from stem to stern.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Soup time! BBL

Matt Эллен

@JasperLoy in the rain, as I commuted

which sounds tastier: microwave spinach and ricotta cannelloni, or microwave garlic and mushroom past?

KitFox

The former.

Gigili

If what I think is happening is happening, it better not be ...

Matt Эллен

@KitFox dang, too late. I've pierced the mushroom and garlic pasta

user19161

5:16 PM

@KitFox It's weird that changing keyboards changes the fonts.

Matt Эллен

@Gigili if you stop thinking it's happening maybe it won't happen

Gigili

@MattЭллен I don't think so, I can smell it already.

user19161

@Gigili I thought you deleted your account.

user19161

@MattЭллен They are both very good.

user19161

@MattЭллен I'll have the other one then!

Gigili

5:19 PM

@JasperLoy Not yet, I'm waiting for them to reply to my email.

KitFox

Why are you leaving?

I thought we were helpful.

Gigili

user19161

-1

Q: Who is a "con man"?

I read this sentence "He is a con man.", and googling 'con' I did not have nothing useless.

meaning-in-context synonyms words

user19161

GR

KitFox

@KitFox, if this question does not fit 'single-word-requests' tag, I am happy to remove it, but it is hard to imagine why 'list questions' are banned, given the very crowdsourcing feature of StackExchange. The point of my question is exactly to encourage as many possible answers as possible. Although you can argue that many of them may be subjective, they're all helpful for my purpose. The fact I don't specify a particular context is because I am seeking a branding inspiration, and not a specific word in a specific context for writing. — MLister 2 mins ago

Kill with fire then.

user19161

5:21 PM

Is google the new dictionary? Everyone just says I googled but did not check a dictionary.

user19161

This googling thing has got to STOP. QED.

Gigili

@KitFox Unbelievably helpful.

l'm grumpy. l wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

KitFox

Oh, I see.

user19161

@KitFox Voted.

Matt Эллен

@JasperLoy so many negatives head asplode

KitFox

5:24 PM

Maybe push your bed against the opposite wall.

user19161

@Gigili woke

KitFox

Then you can't get up on the wrong side of it.

user19161

@KitFox Or sleep on the floor.

Gigili

@JasperLoy What?

user19161

@Gigili "Woke" is the past tense of "wake". Unless you mean in general you wake up like that every day.

Gigili

5:26 PM

@JasperLoy I mean in general of course, I've learned enough about tenses.

As in I'm always grumpy, not only today and the day before today.

user19161

I have a feeling Anglo Saxon will be suspended soon.

KitFox

His questions remind me of Carlo's.

user19161

But Carlo now posts with greater care, I am proud of him.

user19161

I wonder how old he is, could be a teen.

KitFox

I think so too.

Mitch

5:39 PM

@JasperLoy google = 'shortest word I know of to get them to stop asking something they could have figured out on their own'

@JasperLoy except with no care for what little agreement rules there are in English.

Cerberus

Oh and @Mitch, ij/ei is a very difficult diphthong.

And the subtlest differences mark social class and region.

Mitch

@MattЭллен 'asplode' now added to vocabulary

@Cerberus forget nuance, just the ballpark was giving me trouble.

KitFox

BTW, very exciting Weekly Writers Chat over in the Overlook:

in The Overlook Hotel, 33 mins ago, by KitFox

So today's topic will be "What are the qualities that make KitFox awesome?"

Mitch

awesomeness?

KitFox

You all might be interested in dropping in and giving your input.

Cerberus

5:45 PM

@Mitch OK, well, you know how to find Forvo.

KitFox

Now that I have concluded my remarks.

Robusto

@KitFox Ego-projection on an operatic scale?

Mitch

@Cerberus right, and the wiktionary recording too. I listened to it over and over. It basically convinced me that IPA sucks (see RegDwights comment on the /l/ in milk and Milch)

KitFox

@Robusto Wow, you flatterer. You should certainly go post that in The Overlook.

Cerberus

@Mitch Hmm I don't know. BTW the Forvo "vrijdag" is a bit unclear and not very standard.

Mitch

5:47 PM

@KitFox I just looked. No one has responded. But I think awesomeness is sufficient.

KitFox

@Mitch Yes, but how does that glorify me if noöne says it publicly?

Cerberus

►

This Facebook parody is pretty funny.

And catchy too.

Epicrap! Haha.

From Greek epi-.

to crap around?

5:53 PM

Taking the piss? Didn't someone just tell me that doesn't mean "taking a piss"?

Cerberus

It means "trying to fool someone", so Jez assured me.

Something like that.

Matt Эллен

taking the piss mean taking the mick

making fun of

poking fun at

Cerberus

Taking the piss

Taking the piss means to take liberties, or to be unreasonable. It is often used (or confused) with with taking the piss out of which is an expression meaning to mock, tease, ridicule, or scoff. Taking the Mickey (Mickey Bliss, Cockney rhyming slang) or taking the Michael is another term for making fun of someone. These terms are most widely used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Usage The term sometimes refers to a form of mockery in which the mocker exaggerates the other person's characteristics; pretending to take on his or her attitudes, etc., in ...

Hmm so it is a bit complicated.

Matt Эллен

oh, it has that meaning too

KitFox

Being outlandish perhaps.

Cerberus

5:55 PM

Now I wonder which one he meant.

Matt Эллен

but the "taking liberties" meaning comes from "mocking"

Cerberus

Very outlandish. Insular, even.